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Ferulic acid is a nutraceutical β-secretase modulator that improves behavioral impairment and alzheimer-like pathology in transgenic mice
Mori T, Koyama N, Guillot-Sestier MV, Tan J, Town T.. PloS one, 2013-02-08
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Amyloid precursor protein (APP) proteolysis is required for production of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides that comprise β-amyloid plaques in brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Recent AD therapeutic interest has been directed toward a group of anti-amyloidogenic compounds extracted from plants. We orally administered the brain penetrant, small molecule phenolic compound ferulic acid (FA) to the transgenic PSAPP mouse model of cerebral amyloidosis (bearing mutant human APP and presenilin-1 transgenes) and evaluated behavioral impairment and AD-like pathology.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Mori, T., Koyama, N., Guillot-Sestier, M. V., Tan, J., & Town, T. (2013). Ferulic acid is a nutraceutical β-secretase modulator that improves behavioral impairment and alzheimer-like pathology in transgenic mice. PloS one. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0055774
Vancouver
Mori T, Koyama N, Guillot-Sestier MV, Tan J, Town T. Ferulic acid is a nutraceutical β-secretase modulator that improves behavioral impairment and alzheimer-like pathology in transgenic mice. PloS one. 2013. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0055774. PMID: 23409038.
BibTeX
@article{mori2013-23409038,
author = {Mori, T. and Koyama, N. and Guillot-Sestier, M. V. and Tan, J. and Town, T.},
title = {{Ferulic acid is a nutraceutical β-secretase modulator that improves behavioral impairment and alzheimer-like pathology in transgenic mice}},
journal = {PloS one},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0055774},
pmid = {23409038},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0055774}
}
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Key findings
- Recent AD therapeutic interest has been directed toward a group of anti-amyloidogenic compounds extracted from plants.
- We orally administered the brain penetrant, small molecule phenolic compound ferulic acid (FA) to the transgenic PSAPP mouse model of cerebral amyloidosis (bearing mutant human APP and presenilin-1 transgenes) and evaluated behavioral impairment and AD-like pathology.
- Oral FA treatment for 6 months reversed transgene-associated behavioral deficits including defective: hyperactivity, object recognition, and spatial working and reference memory, but did not alter wild-type mouse behavior.
- Furthermore, brain parenchymal and cerebral vascular β-amyloid deposits as well as abundance of various Aβ species including oligomers were decreased in FA-treated PSAPP mice.
Why it matters
In a transgenic mouse model of cerebral amyloidosis, six months of oral ferulic acid treatment reversed behavioral deficits and reduced Alzheimer-like pathology. This is animal research only and does not establish that ferulic acid treats or prevents Alzheimer's disease in people.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 47/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (PloS one) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | PLoS ONE: journal h-index 594 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2013 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Laboratory or animal study (title names “transgenic”) — scores zero |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 189 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 12.6 citations a year over 15 year(s) since 2013 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 7.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 25 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Terrence Town: h-index 67 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of California, Los Angeles: institution h-index 1,923 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 23409038) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 47 / 100 | — |
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